Dare to dream
by Alyssa C
Summary: A collective of Danny and Lindsay one shots. Each chapter is a new story set to a different song. Featured Song:Wonderwall by Oasis
1. She says

A/N: Oh my god! What in the heck is wrong with me? I've already got two stories going and here I am writing a third! Ugh! Okay, this story is basically, well, not really a story at all. It's just a collective a Danny and Lindsay one shots, set to songs. Song fics. Each chapter is a news story set to a different song. Each story is completely different, unless noted other wise.

This song is not mine. It belongs to Howie Day.

Chapter one-She says

Sweet is the sight, of a room, window open by candle light. How would you know?

* * *

Danny Messer stepped out of the locker room and began making his way to the break room when something caught his eye. He stopped and turned to look at the man that was standing extremely close to Lindsay. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist and he was muttering something only she could hear. He watched them for a moment as he began to wonder about what he had let get away.

* * *

_Cold winter on the shore chills the dress she wore. _

It's on the floor. Still, it feels so warm today.

* * *

Danny sat up on the bed as he looked down and watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. As if the hardships that came with their jobs didn't even affect her. He knew otherwise, though. The case Mac had her working on would be trying on anyone. She was working on a triple homicide. A mans three children were killed when his store was robbed. The father suffered sever gun shot wounds, but would be okay after a few weeks at the hospital. He was still alive while his children were dead. Mac had told them of the man's suicide a few days later.

Danny reached over and brushed a piece of fallen hair away from her eyes. He tucked the soft strand of hair securely behind her ear lobe. "Stop staring at me." He heard her mutter as Danny chuckled. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "What are we doing?" she asked in all seriousness. His hand fell to her shoulder, then her hip.

He swiftly ran his tongue over his lips as he looked her in the eye. The truth was, he didn't know what the hell he was doing. He never slept with co-workers. His work was extremely important to him and he would never have thought of jeopardizing that by sleeping with Lindsay. But this time it was different. He didn't know why, it just seemed like he couldn't stop with her. "I don't know." He finally answered after a long, awkward silence filled the room.

The previous night, Lindsay hadn't said much to anyone. She was filling out paperwork that would seal the case and Mac hadn't put her on any new cases just yet. Danny had offered to take her out, to relieve the stress that the case had caused. After a few minutes of coaxing, she finally gave in. When the two left the bar, Lindsay had wanted to go back to his place. He hated being alone and apparently, so did she. When she asked, Danny happily obliged and things didn't stop there.

* * *

I swing into flight, over hills, over her hills.

It's twilight.

* * *

Danny cleared his throat quietly as he glanced down at the floor. He shuffled toward the break room, hoping that Lindsay didn't catch him staring. That was the last thing he needed. Danny opened the door to the room as images of him and Lindsay together assailed him. That night was only the first of many that they would spend together.

* * *

And while we're here, tell me why it's so funny, that you're so funny when you're mad.

* * *

Danny collapsed on her as Lindsay wrapped her arms around his broad shoulder. His breath was ragged as he leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Danny rolled off of her and pulled her into his arms. He pressed his lips to her temple.

They laid there in silence for a while as Lindsay took their fingers and intertwined them. "When are we going to let other people know about us?" she asked softly. She turned to look up at him as she waited for an answer.

"What's there to say?" he asked seriously as he looked down at her. She dropped his hand and her body tensed up. Danny had the feeling that he said the wrong thing.

She shook her head and sat up, pulling the sheets to cover her body, from _him_. "So, what was this Danny?" she asked harshly as she turned to look at him. "Just something to do in your spare time? Did-no-_do_ we have a relationship?"

Danny sat up and looked at her as she sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for an answer. He noted the way her facial expressions changed when she was mad. Her jaw was set and her lips were pursed. "You know," he spoke gently. "You're cute when you're angry."

She shook her head again as she stood and began picking up her clothes. "I don't want to be just a convenience to you, Danny." She told me as she began getting dressed in a haste.

"I didn't say that." He argued softly.

"You didn't have to." She replied as she caught her bottom lip in between her teeth as she finished getting dressed. This was a nervous habit that Danny had found extremely sexy. "It's just, you're not looking for commitment, and I am. I don't want my whole life to be filled with different people and different flings. She was fully dressed now as she made her way to the door. "I guess we can chalk this up to a bad experience."

"Lindsay, wait." He tried calling out to her, tried stopping her, but it was too late. Once he was dressed, or decent, anyway, she was gone.

* * *

_And that's why I'm wondering why you had to tell me what's going on in your head._

* * *

Danny told himself that he was over her. That it didn't matter that he was rejected by her. He had even started dating again. But he always found himself comparing them to Lindsay. They were never smart enough, or pretty enough. Either way, it never lasted more then one date. Things had gotten back to normal between them. There wasn't any playful banter or small talk. Just work. It even got him thinking that maybe he wanted more. Maybe he didn't want a life where everyone blended into one another everything was just a short fling. Then today. He saw her with someone else. Someone who could offer her more than him.

* * *

_And when she says she wants somebody else, I hope you know that she doesn't mean you._

* * *

**Please let me know what you think.R&R. I'll be updating Forces of Nautre tomorrow!**


	2. Seasons of Love

**Chapter Two: Seasons of Love**

**A/N: I don't own, and/or profit from any of this. None of the characters belong to me, they are property of CBS. The lyrics in this song are all written by Jonathan Larson.**

* * *

_How do you measure, measure a year? _

_In daylight, in sunset, in midnights, in cups of coffee?_

_In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife?_

* * *

When he had heard that Aiden Burns, his partner, one of his closest friends had done something as awful as tamper with evidence, he didn't believe it. He wouldn't. But there was nothing to prove otherwise, and he lost a good, well respected colleague. To twist the knife even further, she was replaced immediately.

The day Danny Messer had learned that Aiden was being replaced by another woman, a woman from Montana none the less, he wasn't thrilled, to say the least. He had expected the worse. Danny had it all pictured in his head. She'd be really beastly, he chuckled to himself the morning of her arrival. She would probably be wearing tattered jeans and shirt. But when he had seen her talking to Mac, his perception of her had changed.

She was anything _but _hick. She was very professional, very strong, and he noticed, very pretty. She had rolled up her sleeves and, literally, got down and dirty. She wasn't afraid to do the hard things and Danny secretly admired her for it. He never told her how much he thought her work ethic impressed him. Maybe because he thought that if he did, it would somehow seem that he wasn't respecting Aiden and all the things she had done for the lab.

Danny taunted her by dubbing her 'Montana'. She hated the nickname and continually voiced her dislike. He knew that she didn't like it, not only because it wasn't her name, but because she was now a part of the CSI: NY team and Danny didn't exactly welcome her with warm, open arms.

As days turned into weeks and things started to fall back into normal pattern, Lindsay was starting to become part of the lab. Except whenever she worked a case with Danny, they continued to butt heads. Danny had seniority over her, so naturally, if the case called for it, she got the dirty job, while he took pictures and took evidence bags back to the lab. Things were never anything but business for them. Their conversations were dominated by cases, evidence files, suspects and nothing else.

* * *

_It's time now, to sing out,  
Though the story never ends.  
Let's celebrate  
Remember a year in the life of friends._

* * *

She didn't know when things had started to change between the two of them. Lindsay had been at the lab for a few months now and she still felt like the new girl. Everybody had been working with each other for years and they all had private jokes with one another, or old cases to relive when it got too quiet in the lab. She listened with interest as they laughed and shared together, privately wanting to have her own stories to tell.

When she moved from her small town in Montana to Manhattan, she had all these pre conceived notions of what it would be like. Fast paced, action non-stop and close friends that she could make at her new lab. It wasn't like that though. When Mac had gotten in contact with her and told her that he had a position available, Lindsay was thrilled. Yet she never stopped to think about the person who she was stepping in for. From what little she learned from different lab tech, she had big shoes to fill. Obviously the woman, Aiden Burns, was fired for tampering with evidence. She was from Brooklyn and her and Danny were close. Maybe that's why he gave her unwanted nicknames.

It was different now. A whole lot different. They were working a case, and he asked her if she was hungry and she said yes. So he took her to some deli where they got lunch, although she had something to eat waiting for her in the break room. I guess, if she really thought about it, that's where things had started to change between them.

At first, they'd only stick to neutral topics. Like cases, the weather, other co-workers. But as going to the same deli everyday started to become a ritual, they started to open up more and the less and less did cases come up between them. "Why did you want to move to New York?" he asked one day as she looked up at him from across the table.

"Well," she began with a small sigh as she pulled at a piece of hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I needed a change." she shrugged sheepishly, knowing what a terrible answer it was, but it was the truth. "Besides, being a CSI in Montana wasn't all it was cracked up to be." she rolled her eyes. He laughed, making Lindsay smile.

"I bet." he muttered as he took a drink of water. He had begrudgingly mentioned a few times that he wished that having a few beers on the job wouldn't result in him getting fired. Lindsay had mentioned that she didn't drink and he told her he somehow already knew. She didn't know if she wanted to take that as a polite insult or just an observation.

As the time passed, Danny had called her cell phone on a Saturday and asked if she wanted to go out to lunch. It took every muscle in her face to keep from smiling as she glanced down at her clothing. "Sure." she agreed nonchalantly as her insides did somersaults. "Let me just change. Where do you want me to meet you?" she asked, as she cradled the tiny device between her ear and shoulder blade as she fingered the clothing in her closet.

"I'll come pick you up." he answered briskly. "Where do you live?"

She had given him her address and told him what apartment she was in and the call ended. She snapped the phone shut and finally, she broke out into a large grin. She carefully pieced an outfit together, without trying to look too obvious.

When they had gone out, he didn't take her to their usual eatery, instead he took her someplace else. It wasn't anywhere she heard of, just a little restaurant that served Mexican food. Lindsay was enthralled by the place as she and Danny ate lunch. "Why don't you get out more?" he asked over a plate of food.

Lindsay shrugged. She was usually honest with Danny, but she didn't want him to know why she never went out more. It made her feel like a hermit. "I'm working most of the time." she answered, blushing.

"You don't have to pick up extra hours." he replied seriously. When she looked up at him, he was smirking. "I know you pick up extra hours. You're always working even when your shift is over."

Lindsay ran a tongue over her lips nervously. She hated being in the hot seat. She was always the observer, nothing else and at the moment, she was extremely uncomfortable. "I don't know anyone else in New York." she answered as she took a fork and picked at her food. She looked at everything except Danny. The table, the walls, the food, everything but him and prying eyes. "Except my Uncle and I really wouldn't want to hang out with him. I mean, this is such a stupid conversation, can we just drop it?"

"Sure." he responded, seeing her reluctance.

After that, things didn't go so smoothly and Lindsay could've kicked herself for making such a big deal out of the conversation back in the diner. They finished lunch rather quickly and left the place after he paid the bill."I'll help pay." she reached into the pockets of her jeans to grab some money until Danny stopped her. He told her that he would get it, and reminded her that she paid for the last time they went out to lunch.

He took her back to her apartment building as the two made light conversation. "Listen," he turned to her when they parked on the curb in front of her building. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

Lindsay turned to look at him and felt herself beginning to smile. "So serious." she muttered as he broke out into a toothy grin. He had a great smile, she noted. "Listen," she started, not wanting him to worry about her, or worse, pity her. "I'm fine. I like living here. Nothing is wrong. I promise." she lied. The truth was, sometimes she missed Montana. She missed her friends and family. Here in New York, she was alone and had nothing but her work to fall back on.

She thanked him for lunch and began making her way out of the car. "Hey." he called out to her, halting her movements. She turned to glance over at him, wondering what else he wanted to talk about. She didn't get a chance to ask, when his lips softly brushed over hers. She sat extremely still as he moved his lips over hers. Danny moved away when she didn't respond.

"I'm sorry." he muttered, glancing down at the car fabric and picked at a loose piece of string for a moment. "That was really uncalled for and I apologize."

Lindsay looked at him for a moment, trying to catch her breath and put together what just what happened. He had kissed her. And she didn't do anything? What the hell was wrong with her? The first guy that bothers to pay any attention to her since she moved to Manhattan kissed her and she just sat there like an half-wit. Lindsay leaned up and pressed her lips to his. His hand went to the back of her head, holding it in place as he opened his mouth to hers, deepening the kiss.

* * *

_Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes  
How do you measure the life  
Of a woman or a man?_

* * *

"Hey." she greeted him softly as he leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She chuckled as he began kissing the bridge of her nose, as he moved to her cheek. He kissed her eyes shut and ended his trek with a soft kiss on her forehead. "I love waking up this way." she mumbled against his neck.

"Me too." he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and brought her closer to him. He pressed his lips on to her temple as he heard her sigh in content. "Do you have to work today?" he asked softly and she shook her head.

Danny loved it when she stayed with him. They took turns staying at one another's apartments. At first, it was always about sex. They would sleep together and act as if nothing happened at work. Until it happened again. When Lindsay didn't show up to work, it surprised him how much it concerned him. Until Stella informed him Lindsay got a bad flu and she was at home. Danny had stopped and got her some over the counter pills, as well as Chinese noodles. He knew how much she liked those. He stayed with her over lunch and gave her the medicine. Of course, it took a while for her to even open the door.

They started talking, considering the fact that she really wasn't in the mood for sex. Their relationship, even they even had one at the time, deepened. He had learned a lot about the brilliant CSI, and he had told her things he had never told anyone before. He felt like someone else when he was with her. He didn't constantly worry about cases, or family. It was just them, and he liked it that way.

He heard her soft breathing and realized she was sleeping again. Danny brushed the hair away from her face and stared down at her. God, she was beautiful. She was extremely smart, attractive, sweet, and Danny knew that he didn't deserve her. He didn't treat her well when she first came and any other woman would have never forgave him for that. But, luckily for him, Lindsay wasn't like any of those woman. No, she was unique. She was his.

* * *

_Oh you got to got to Remember the love! Remember the love.  
You Measure in love know that love is a gift from up above. _

_Seasons of Love_

* * *

So, I don't really like this chapter. I flicked school today and decided to write it then. I might re-write it. I'm not sure. Anyways, please R&R. Any and all reviews are welcomed!


	3. Wonderwall

1_Because maybe  
You're gonna be the one who saves me  
And after all  
You're my wonder wall _

Lindsay Monroe looked around the tiny confines of her room and let out a small sigh of frustration. This really was crazy. And a little pathetic. Every since _that _day, she had been living in constant fear and that just wasn't who she was. No. She was tough. She never let anything get to her, and if, by chance, something did, then she never let it show. It was different now.

She tossed her head to one side and glared at the tiny cell phone that seemed to be staring back at her. He had said she could call anytime. If she was in any danger, or, if she just wanted company. Her eyes darted to her alarm clock and she felt her stomach tighten. 2:23 a.m. No, she couldn't call. Besides, it wasn't like she needed a babysitter.

_Today was gonna be the day?  
But they'll never throw it back to you. _

_By now you should've somehow  
Realized what you're not to do_

Danny Messer pulled the small brunette into his arms as she let out a squeal of laughter. He wrapped his arms securely around her shoulders. He bent his head forward and whispered into her ear. "Wanna take this somewhere else?" he asked seductively and heard her laugh.

She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well . . . I guess we could-"

She was cut off by the ringing on his cell phone. Damn intruder. He thought as she rolled her eyes and pushed away from him. He shrugged his shoulders apologetically and reached into the pockets of his jeans.

"God, Danny," she complained. "How many nights do you have to work overtime? We hardly get to spend anytime together."

Danny knew what she meant. He had been pulling a lot of overtime and he really didn't mean to exclude her from his life, he just had a hectic work schedule. Expecting to see the words 'Mac' on the front of his incoming calls, he was surprised when he saw 'Monroe' on his phone. He took the call. "Yeah?"

"Uh . . . hey, um, I'm sorry for calling so late." She apologized in a small voice. "I just-um," he heard her sigh. "Listen. You know what? This was stupid. I'm sorry for bothering you. I know it's late."

"Hey, no, wait." He said quickly before she got the chance to hang up. He glanced up at the tiny brunette who stood with her hands braced on her hips in an annoyed stance. His gaze dropped to the floor. He ran his fingers through his hair as he remembered the promise he had made to his partner a few days' prior. He didn't want to leave his apartment, but her voice. That's what got

him. He couldn't just hang up and leave her alone. He didn't know what he would have done if his friends had left him hanging out to dry when he shot the undercover cop. Or if he was left alone in the panic room. Lindsay was alone in New York and he didn't want to turn the cold shoulder. "Do you want me to come over?" he finally asked.

She was quiet for a moment and Danny wondered if she was even there at all. "Danny!" he looked up at the tiny brunette that stood in his apartment. Her voice was calm yet persistent as Danny stood silently, waiting for Lindsay to reply. "Do you have to work today or not?"

"Oh," Lindsay finally spoke, drawing his attention back to the telephone. "You have company. Listen. I'm so sorry I called. I didn't mean to interrupt anything." She apologized in a haste. "I'll see you at work tomorrow." The line went dead and Danny was left listening to the dial tone.

Danny flipped the phone shut and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans. He walked over to the annoyed woman who stood waiting for answers. He pulled her into a chaste kiss before retrieving his jacket. "I'm sorry. I have somewhere that I have to be. I wish I could stay."

"Then stay." Her voice was soft; pleading.

Danny shrugged his shoulders into the thin jacket as he looked over at her. She stood with her arms crossed loosely over her chest. Her eyes were pleading him to stay, but, she would never understand. "I can't." He murmured with a sigh.

"Danny," she called out. "If you leave," her voice quaked and Danny wanted to do nothing more than stride across the room and bring her into his arms. But Lindsay was waiting and Danny knew she wouldn't have called him unless she really needed him. "I won't be here when you get back." She promised casually, as if this was the defining moment in their relationship, and to some extent, Danny knew it was.

When they had first started dating, she had said she could handle his tough work schedules. That they could work around them as long as they could be together; that was all she cared about. Until their relationship really began to test fate and she couldn't take it. Between both their jobs, they hardly got a chance to spend time together and now that Danny was finally stepping back and actually taking a long, hard look at their relationship, he realized that maybe they had rushed things.

He didn't know what to say, so, he didn't say anything. He ran the tip of his tongue over his lips in an absent reflect before shutting the door.

_And all the roads we have to walk along are winding   
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding _

Lindsay moaned in annoyance as she padded barefoot across her apartment. "Who is it?" she pressed the tiny buzzer. Her heart was racing, even though she knew she was acting foolish and had no reason to worry.

"It's me." She heard a male voice say. Lindsay's brows came together as she leaned in a little more to try and decipher who the person was. Besides the fact that the voice was fuzzy, but the loud streets of Manhattan didn't really help.

"Who?" she enquired

"Danny." He replied after a long sigh. "Let me in. It's cold." He added.

Lindsay breathed out a heavy sigh. "Danny," she started. She didn't want to him to think that he had an obligation to her. She was a grown woman; she didn't need to call her co-worker every time she was afraid. "You didn't need to come."

As Lindsay waited for his response, she realized that he wasn't there anymore. A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach left Lindsay feeling a little disappointed. Maybe she should have let him in. It would have been better then being all alone. It would have been nice to have some- Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on her door.

Her knees began to shake as she slowly made her way to the door. She swallowed hard, and pressed her palm firmly against the wood door. "Who-Who is it?" she cursed herself silently for making her voice shake.

"It's Danny." Came the voice from the other side of the door. There was no mistaking his thick accent as Lindsay unlocked the door to let him in. She stepped aside and let him into her apartment. "About time you opened up." He smiled. "You got this place secured like Fort Knox." He tried keeping the conversation light, and Lindsay appreciated it.

She scratched the back of her head and smiled slightly, trying to act brave, although it was the last thing she felt at the moment. "Obviously not, since you could get up here pretty easily." She muttered.

Danny tilted his head to one side as he took off his jacket. He glanced down at the floor before looking up at her and making eye contact. "I'm sorry. I should have called first." He apologized gently. "But, you called and I thought that maybe you wanted some company."

Lindsay shifted uncomfortably under Danny's scrutinizing stare. He did have a valid point. She was the one that called _him_. She was scared of being alone, but, for a reason that was extremely unknown to Lindsay, when he was here for her, she felt like an interloper. "You had company." She argued softly.

She noticed the change in his demeanor and realized that he was slightly annoyed. Probably with her. "Then why did you call me?" he asked irritated. His hands were resting firmly on his hips as he waited for her response.

"It's . . . " he took a quick glance up at the clock. "2:45 in the morning and you just, out of the blue decide to call me and . . . " Danny paused when he took in her haggard features. It had looked s if she hadn't slept in days and her hair was thrown up into a haphazard bun. She stood, listening to him criticize her. He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands awkwardly into the pockets of his jeans. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." His tone was considerably softer. "If you want me to go, I'll go." He finally relented.

She shifted from one foot to another, as she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. She scanned the room before shaking her head. "No," she managed to say, barely above a whisper. "No, I don't want you to go." She breathed in deeply.

He nodded slowly. "Okay." He reasoned softly. "Well, do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently, not wanting her to get the feeling that he was pressuring her. That was the last thing he wanted and the last thing she needed.

Lindsay's mind raced, she wanted to tell him the truth but wasn't sure she was ready for the embarrassment that was sure to come along with her confession. All her life she had fought to be viewed as a strong and independent woman, but now look at her. "I hate this." She tried smiling. "Not being able to live in peace. Being afraid in my own home."

Danny made his way toward her. He lightly took her elbow and lead her over to her couch, and she followed. She didn't want to keep everything bottled inside anymore. It was a terrible feeling. Every day she went to work, she felt the stares, she could see the sympathy in everyone's eyes, including Danny. It felt like her chest was going to implode.

_Back beat the word was on the street  
That the fire in your heart is out  
I'm sure you've heard it all before   
But you never really had a doubt _

Lindsay remembered how it all started. What an idiot she was to actually think that being printed in the paper was an honor. She had successfully ended a case she had been working on for months with Mac where they had caught a serial rapist/murderer in the Lower Manhattan area. Everything was like a domino effect from there. She had started getting weird calls in the morning. Messages were left in her mail box that were pretty disturbed. Of course, she kept all the information to herself, like the half-wit she was. She lived in New York. There were always creeps lurking around.

It didn't stop there. If anything, it intensified. Her apartment was ransacked when she came home from work after pulling a double shift. On the door was the article in the New York Post about her work on arresting the Manhattan Murderer. Lindsay left it alone. She really didn't want to bring attention to herself over nothing that was really important. That is, until she was attacked at a crime scene.

Her back was turned as she snapped photos and Flack talked to witnesses. She was attacked from behind as the man hit her in the face, pushing her to the ground as he kicked her in the side and destroyed her evidence. He had said something that was incoherent to Lindsay. She elevated herself onto her elbows as she blinked back tears. She saw Flack pushing the man against a brick wall as he glanced over at her to make sure she was okay. That's when the questions began.

First it was Flack, who helped her off the ground and was with her when the ambulance at the scene patched her up. The Mac, who met her at the lab. She couldn't lie to her supervisor, and besides, the man was in custody for assaulting a police officer. Lindsay broke down and told Mac everything. He truly was a great supervisor as well as a great friend.

"I...um . . . I don't know why I'm acting this." She said, barely above a whisper.

"You know," he started slowly, not sure if he wanted to let her in on his slip up last year or not. He didn't tell anybody, not willing, anyway. It wasn't something that he went around and told everyone. "I shot an undercover cop not to long ago." He didn't get into the specifics, but from the look on her face, he was quite sure she got the gist.

Her mouth parted to form a perfect shaped 'O' as she leaned forward and sat on the edge of the couch. Her eyes softened. "I'm sorry." She replied. After a lapse of silence, and the only sound heard was the faint traffic from outside, she spoke again. "What happened?"

Danny ran his tongue over his lips as he readjusted his glasses. He leaned back in the corner of the couch and shifted uncomfortably. "I was at a crime scene with Mac," he elaborated. "We were called to a scene. Mac had me scan the apartment when I heard something moving in the closet. When I went to check it out, the door opened up and knocked me to the ground. I chased the man outside and into the subway. He started shooting at me, so, I shot back." He paused and brought in a deep breath. "I killed him instantly. He was an undercover agent."

Lindsay was silent. Her eyes were full of understanding. She scanned his features, taking in his behavior. He sat up straighter;His jaw was set. "Danny," she began softly.

"No," he said through gritted teeth. He shook his head and glanced up at her. He met her gaze and didn't like the sympathetic stare she was giving him. He tried focusing on her. "We didn't come here to talk about me."

She offered a small smile. "Guess we're not so different." She reacted shyly. A soft sigh escaped her lips as they sat in silence. Lindsay took this time to look at him, really look at him. He was the typical man. Everything Lindsay steered cleared of back in Montana. The handsome face, with glasses that proved that he just wasn't a man who got by on looks. A built physique and the confidence of a man who knew who he was, and what to do to get what he wanted. The chiming of her clock brought her mind back to focus.

"We'll." She breathed out with a heavy sigh. She lifted herself off her couch and stood over him. "It's late. Thanks for coming over. It was nice to get my mind off of things for a while." She smiled sweetly.

"You want me to stay?" he offered.

Lindsay shook her head. She said, "No. I'll be okay. It'll only be a few more hours till I have to go into the lab." She replied sheepishly._ Did she want him to stay? No. No, of course she didn't_.

Danny cleared his throat and leaned into the couch. "Well," he started, a sly grin itching at the corners of his lips. "That's too bad. Because, you called me in the middle of the morning and ruined my good nights' sleep."

Lindsay laughed shortly. She crossed her arms over her chest as she tried to refrain from smiling. "You were not asleep!" she defended.

He shrugged. "Still made me come over here in the middle of the night. I have to go to work tomorrow as well." He reminded her with a wave of his index finger. "So," he glanced around the interior of her small apartment. "Where do you keep the spare blankets?"

_There are many things that I would  
Like to say to you  
I don't know how _

Lindsay laid in her bed for the second time that night. She shifted for a moment before finally finding a comfortable position. It should bring her some comfort to know that Danny was just outside of her bedroom, but it wasn't. Her fear started creeping in again as the lights silhouetted on the walls of her room. She ran her hands over the front of her face. "How ridiculous!" she grumbled into the palms of her hands.

Her thoughts drifted to the man that slept on her lumpy sofa and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. He had come over in the middle of the night, when he obviously had female company, and sat with her. She felt safe when they were in the living room. Just talking. It was nice. Her mind raced. It was true that she had thought he was cute when they first met, but when they worked together, he came off as very self-conceited. As her time in New York passed, she started to see Danny Messer in a whole new light. He was a brilliant CSI and he always fought for the truth, no matter what. She grinned.

_I don't believe that anybody feels  
The way I do about you now _

Danny shifted on the hard sofa and wondered how the hell she sat on this thing. It was hard as a brick and was giving him some serious neck cramps. He punched the pillow a few times and turned to his side. It hurt staying on the couch, but, it's not like she twisted his arm to stay. On the contrary, he was the one who offered to stay and he was sure she would be pretty pissed if he got up and left.

He groaned and shut his eyes. Images of her face played throughout his mind. When she had made her way into work and had bruises on her face, Danny had a sudden urge to protect her. She was his partner, for gods sake and yet he couldn't help. It irritated him that Flack had been there for her. That she had told Mac everything, and he was her partner. He didn't have a reason to be angry, something he told himself very often, but the nagging frustration always mounted.

He had to stand. He needed to stretch his legs and get the kink out of his neck. He felt around for his glasses and pulled them onto his face, everything coming into focus. He stood and began to walk around, the lights from the city illuminating the room in a dim light. Danny walked toward the small hallway that lead to the bathroom. Maybe if he splashed some water on his face, he could get to sleep.

Danny padded through the apartment, trying to walk as lightly as possible, not to wake up the sleeping woman. Lord knows she needed her rest. As he glanced down at his feet, as a yawn escaped his open lips; covering his mouth with his mouth. The movement distracted him and made him bump into something. _Someone_, more specifically.

"Oh my god!" she breathed out. "Danny, you scared the hell out of me!" she rasped, bringing a hand to her chest as she leaned back against the door jamb. "What are you doing sneaking around?" she hissed.

"I'm not sneaking." He huffed with indignation. "Your couch is a nightmare to sleep on and I was walking out the kinks in my body." He glanced down and say that she had a brush in her hand. "What were you going to do with that?" he teased, gesturing the item in her hand.

She glanced down, grateful for the darkness so that he wouldn't see the pink flush that arose on her cheeks. "It was the first thing I grabbed." She shrugged, blushing.

"Go back to bed." He decreed softly. He took her by her shoulders and turned her around. "I'm sorry for waking you." Danny noticed her body tense as he let her walk into her bedroom. From her scared actions to the brush in her hand, the brave facade not exactly accurate.

Lindsay watched him. She didn't want him to leave, even if it was only to the living room. She wanted him to stay. "Will you stay with me?" she asked in a small voice. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and waited for his answer.

"In your room?" he asked skeptically. She knew it. It was a dumb idea and she should have never even asked. Why would he want to baby-sit her and hold her hand? He was a grown man, he obviously had someone waiting for him at home and she was forcing him to watch over her. "Okay." He said softly and moved her back into her room.

_And all the roads that lead to you were winding  
And all the lights that light the way are blinding  
There are many things that I would like to say to you  
I don't know how _

Danny laid in the bed next to her, listening to her breath. It was a few hours before they both had to report to work, but he couldn't get to sleep. Mac had told his team that somebody had been stalking Lindsay. It was obviously an on going obsession of a man who was driven to hatred over his brother going to jail. Lindsay's name appeared in the New York Post about being one of the lead investigators on the case and the man targeted her.

Danny didn't know what it was like to have someone watching you, not knowing if you were alone or not, but Lindsay was his partner, his friend, and he didn't want her to be alone. She needed to know that if she didn't have anyone else, she always had him. Even if he could be a little intolerable sometimes.

He turned on his side, favoring the soft, plush mattress over the lumpy, hard sofa any day. He inched a little closer and spooned her body. He wrapped his arms around her as she nestled his head into his chest. He wasn't really sure why he told her about the undercover cop. He never told anyone about it, but, with her, it was different. For some reason, Danny got the feeling that she understood him. That she wouldn't judge him on his faults or triumphs. She just saw him.

_Because maybe  
You're gonna be the one who saves me  
And after all  
You're my wonder wall _

Let me know what you think. Love it. Hate it. What? I know, kind of OOC, but, I wanted to write some fluff.


End file.
